-tella

See also: tella, Tella, and -tellä

Finnish

Etymology

-ttaa +‎ -ella; the first suffix was adapted by analogy from the causative meaning, taking to "to refer to as" as well as probably later "to act like", while the -ella is a frequentative suffix. The analogy may have also taken place only after the use of -tella in its literal (causative-frequentative) sense for some verbs.

Suffix

-tella (front vowel harmony variant -tellä, linguistic notation -tellA)

1. Forms verbs for calling someone by a name or a label.

   neiti (“miss”) > neiditellä (“to call someone "miss"”)

2. Forms verbs that describe act of pretending to be something.

   hurskas (“pious”) > hurskastella (“to be hypocritical”)

Conjugation

Inflection of -tella (Kotus type 67/tulla, no gradation)
indicative mood
present tense				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-telen	en -tele	1st sing.	olen -tellut	en ole -tellut
2nd sing.		-telet	et -tele	2nd sing.	olet -tellut	et ole -tellut
3rd sing.		-telee	ei -tele	3rd sing.	on -tellut	ei ole -tellut
1st plur.		-telemme	emme -tele	1st plur.	olemme -telleet	emme ole -telleet
2nd plur.		-telette	ette -tele	2nd plur.	olette -telleet	ette ole -telleet
3rd plur.		-televat	eivät -tele	3rd plur.	ovat -telleet	eivät ole -telleet
passive		-tellaan	ei -tella	passive	on -teltu	ei ole -teltu
past tense				pluperfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-telin	en -tellut	1st sing.	olin -tellut	en ollut -tellut
2nd sing.		-telit	et -tellut	2nd sing.	olit -tellut	et ollut -tellut
3rd sing.		-teli	ei -tellut	3rd sing.	oli -tellut	ei ollut -tellut
1st plur.		-telimme	emme -telleet	1st plur.	olimme -telleet	emme olleet -telleet
2nd plur.		-telitte	ette -telleet	2nd plur.	olitte -telleet	ette olleet -telleet
3rd plur.		-telivat	eivät -telleet	3rd plur.	olivat -telleet	eivät olleet -telleet
passive		-teltiin	ei -teltu	passive	oli -teltu	ei ollut -teltu
conditional mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-telisin	en -telisi	1st sing.	olisin -tellut	en olisi -tellut
2nd sing.		-telisit	et -telisi	2nd sing.	olisit -tellut	et olisi -tellut
3rd sing.		-telisi	ei -telisi	3rd sing.	olisi -tellut	ei olisi -tellut
1st plur.		-telisimme	emme -telisi	1st plur.	olisimme -telleet	emme olisi -telleet
2nd plur.		-telisitte	ette -telisi	2nd plur.	olisitte -telleet	ette olisi -telleet
3rd plur.		-telisivat	eivät -telisi	3rd plur.	olisivat -telleet	eivät olisi -telleet
passive		-teltaisiin	ei -teltaisi	passive	olisi -teltu	ei olisi -teltu
imperative mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		—	—	1st sing.	—	—
2nd sing.		-tele	älä -tele	2nd sing.	—	—
3rd sing.		-telkoon	älköön -telko	3rd sing.	olkoon -tellut	älköön olko -tellut
1st plur.		-telkaamme	älkäämme -telko	1st plur.	—	—
2nd plur.		-telkaa	älkää -telko	2nd plur.	—	—
3rd plur.		-telkoot	älkööt -telko	3rd plur.	olkoot -telleet	älkööt olko -telleet
passive		-teltakoon	älköön -teltako	passive	olkoon -teltu	älköön olko -teltu
potential mood
present				perfect
person		positive	negative	person	positive	negative
1st sing.		-tellen	en -telle	1st sing.	lienen -tellut	en liene -tellut
2nd sing.		-tellet	et -telle	2nd sing.	lienet -tellut	et liene -tellut
3rd sing.		-tellee	ei -telle	3rd sing.	lienee -tellut	ei liene -tellut
1st plur.		-tellemme	emme -telle	1st plur.	lienemme -telleet	emme liene -telleet
2nd plur.		-tellette	ette -telle	2nd plur.	lienette -telleet	ette liene -telleet
3rd plur.		-tellevat	eivät -telle	3rd plur.	lienevät -telleet	eivät liene -telleet
passive		-teltaneen	ei -teltane	passive	lienee -teltu	ei liene -teltu
Nominal forms
infinitives				participles
		active	passive		active	passive
1st		-tella		present	-televa	-teltava
long 1st1		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -tellakseni -tellaksemme 2nd -tellaksesi -tellaksenne 3rd -tellakseen -tellaksensa		past	-tellut	-teltu
2nd	inessive2	-tellessa	-teltaessa	agent3	-telema
		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -tellessani -tellessamme 2nd -tellessasi -tellessanne 3rd -tellessaan -tellessansa		negative	-telematon
	instructive	-tellen	—	1) Used only with a possessive suffix. 2) Usually with a possessive suffix (active only). 3) Usually with a possessive suffix. Not used with intransitive verbs. Distinct from nouns with the -ma suffix and third infinitive forms. 4) Some uses of the verbal noun are called the 'fourth infinitive' by certain sources (more details).
3rd	inessive	-telemassa	—
	elative	-telemasta	—
	illative	-telemaan	—
	adessive	-telemalla	—
	abessive	-telematta	—
	instructive	-teleman	-teltaman
4th4	verbal noun	-teleminen
5th1		Possessive forms Person sing. plur. 1st -telemaisillani -telemaisillamme 2nd -telemaisillasi -telemaisillanne 3rd -telemaisillaan -telemaisillansa

Usage notes

Often added to the plural stem of the base noun.